


Elder Brothers

by afewreelthoughts



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 03:59:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16865734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afewreelthoughts/pseuds/afewreelthoughts
Summary: Garlan Tyrell has a talk with his brother’s new suitor.





	Elder Brothers

**Author's Note:**

> written for Renly Week: Day 5 - Friends, "Friends," and Allies
> 
> I own nothing and make no money from this. Everything belongs to George R.R. Martin

After the feast, Garlan Tyrell found Lord Renly Baratheon at the edge of the terraced gardens outside the great hall, looking down at the maze below. Loras and Margaery wove through the green hedges, arm-in-arm and close in conversation.

"Enjoying your stay?” Garlan asked.

Renly’s too perfect smile reached his eyes this time. Sometimes it didn’t. “Yes, thank you,” he said. “Your family has been incredibly generous to me.”

 _We’re getting as much out of this as you are_ , Garlan thought, but he didn’t say it. “We’re glad you’ve brought back our newly-knighted brother before sweeping him off to court.

“You’re welcome to come with us,” Renly said.

“Leonette and I like it here, it’s too crowded up in King’s Landing,” Garlan said.  _Crowded and dirty and vile._

“I love it here,” Renly said, looking down at the maze. “Every inch of it is beautiful.”

“You mean Highgarden?"

“Yes, of course,” Renly said. He looked quickly down at Loras and Margie, then back up at Garlan. There was a disturbance in his too perfect smile.

Garlan let himself really look at Renly then, take him all in. Though the king’s brother was a year or two older than Garlan, they were of a size, tall and broad shouldered. If necessary, Garlan could take him in a fight. Easily.

When Loras visited the year before, eyes full of stars and mouth full of praises for his young lord, Garlan had been unsure what the relationship between them had been. It was obvious that Loras was smitten, and it broke Garlan’s heart to think that his brother might be hiding such an important relationship from him if indeed Renly was more than his lord. 

Now there was an ease about his brother. He still looked at Renly like he hung the moon and stars, still talked about him in every spare second, but no pain or anxiety lurked beneath. Something had happened between them since his knighthood, and part of Garlan was happy for his brother, the other part… Loras had been brought up to know his worth, and Garlan doubted he would let anyone treat him as less than he deserved, but the other part of him wanted to push Renly half over the railing and demand to know his intentions with his brother.

Garlan realized that he had been silently staring at Renly for a long time. He cleared his throat. “Father is always happy to entertain the brother of the king.”

Renly tilted his head. His smile was almost a smirk. “You say speak if you haven’t met me before…”

Garlan said nothing. He folded his arms and watched Renly quietly until he began to squirm. 

“You seem... very good for him,” he said eventually.

“Thank you,” Renly said, and any smugness gone from his voice.

“You know that if you hurt him, I will kill you seven different ways.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

“You’re a youngest brother. You must know what it’s like to have your family protective of you.”

Renly laughed, sharp and loud. “Yes! Stannis and Robert would  _raise the banners_  if _anyone_  lay hands on me!”

Garlan furrowed his brow. Sometimes Renly made very little sense. “What do you mean? They’re your family.”

Renly’s eyes widened and he looked suddenly very serious. Garlan had never seen the look “If someone actually did hurt me, I am sure they would do something about it, and not just because they had to…” He sounded like he half-believed himself.

Garlan rested a hand on his shoulder.

“My family isn’t like your family, and that’s fine,” Renly said. “They just…” he sighed, “…aren’t like your family.”

Garlan kept his hand on Renly’s shoulder.

“You are always welcome here, you know that?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Loras loves you. You’re family.”

Renly’s eyes lit up and his mouth opened slightly, as if searching for what to say.

“You have been for a while,” Garlan said. “You’re even wearing our colors.”

Renly pulled at one of his sleeves, dark green with gold embroidery at the cuffs. “I asked Loras if it would be all right, to have this doublet made.” He smiled. “He seemed to like the idea.”

“He seems to like everything about you.”

Renly looked down at where Loras and Margaery still walked arm-in-arm. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve him,” he said.

It was the perfect thing to say. Garlan smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “I’m happy for you, I really am, but if you hurt him, I will kill you.”


End file.
